2012 NAIA Football Players of the Week - No. 6

Boger, Dodge and Harrison receive NAIA football weekly honors.

October 08, 2012

By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Cole Boger of Morningside (Iowa) has been named the NAIA National Football Special Teams Player of the Week, Austin Dodge of Southern Oregon has been tabbed National Football Offensive Player of the Week and Dewaun Harrison of Cumberlands (Ky.) received National Football Defensive Player of the Week honors, the national office announced Monday. Boger, Dodge and Harrison were chosen for their performances during the week of Oct. 1 - 7 and were selected out of a poll of conference and independent award winners.

Boger, a junior defensive back from Battle Creek, Iowa, blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth-ranked Mustangs' 28-3 victory against then-No. 18 Doane (Neb.) last Saturday. The play came on the game's opening series and set the tone for the afternoon as Morningside's top-ranked run defense held the Tigers to only 12 yards on the ground and forced 11 punts.

On the season, Boger owns 15 tackles (10 solo) and one interception. He is the second Mustang to win the special teams award this season.

Dodge, a quarterback from Vancouver, Wash., threw for a career-high 468 yards to lead the Southern Oregon offense to a 68-22 upset win against then-No. 24 Eastern Oregon. Dodge, who played only the first half, completed 23-of-30 passes, including a career-high five touchdowns, as the Raiders set a new program record with 706 yards of total offense. He also ran for four yards, giving him 472 total yards for the game.

Dodge boasts 1,922 yards of total offense, including 1,860 yards passing, to lead the NAIA in passing yards per game (372.0) and total offensive yards per game (384.4). Entering the week, Dodge is completing 66.7 percent (140-for-210) of his throws and has 17 touchdowns.

Harrison, a linebacker from Chickamauga, Ga., played a pivotal role in Cumberlands' 31-27 victory against then-No. 23 Faulkner (Ala.) on Oct. 6. The sophomore tallied a season-high seven tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, but it was his 42-yard interception return for a touchdown that highlighted his performance. The pick happened with a little more than three minutes remaining in the third quarter and gave the Patriots a 21-7 advantage. It was his second interception return for a score this season. He also added one pass breakup and a forced fumble.

Harrison is fifth on the team with 26 tackles (14 solo) and second with three interceptions.

For a complete listing of all the national statistical leaders, click here.

For the complete NAIA Player of the Week calendar, click here. The next NAIA National Football Players of the Week will be announced on Oct. 15.